Should Teams Be Afraid of The Sacramento Kings?
One Bet Via The Knicks vs Kings Odds That Caught Our Eye
The New York Knicks are looking for win No. 40 on the road, going up against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.
The Kings have won four of their last five games and are also just two games away from .500. They’ve knocked off competitive teams like the Lakers and Bucks in the previous two weeks.
On the other hand, the Knicks have had OG Anunoby back in the lineup over the last couple of games. He’s made a massive impact, helping the Knicks to a 2-0 record since his return.
With Anunoby active, the Knicks have only lost two games since January 1. They’re about to rise in the NBA current standings. New York’s poor stretches came when Anunoby was sidelined with an elbow injury.
Despite that, the Kings are still the favorites at home, sitting at -1.5 with the total at 220. However, the Under is juiced to -115.
Check out our breakdown of the Knicks vs Kings odds for this late-night weekend game.
New York Knicks vs Sacramento Kings 
Day/Time:
Location: Golden 1 Center
Streaming: NBA League Pass
Knicks vs Kings Odds & Trends
The Knicks are 33-30-1 against the spread this season. Meanwhile, New York has hit the Under 42 times in 66 games this year.
While the New York Knicks dominate at home, they’re only 17-14 on the road. That’s a winning record, but it doesn’t compare to the 22 wins they’ve won at home.
On the other hand, the Kings are sitting at 19-12 at home. They’ve also gone 33-31-1 against the spread and have hit the Over in three more games than the Under this year.
This is the first of two meetings between the Knicks and Kings this season. The Knicks have defeated the Kings in four of the last five games. However, in the most recent game, the Kings added a 122-117 win in March of 2023 as two-point favorites at home.
OG Anunoby’s Return
OG Anunoby‘s been back for two games since his elbow surgery. Since his return, the Knicks have been 2-0 and look like an playoffs team with him on the floor.
However, Anunoby showed some discomfort in his elbow yesterday. Although he downplayed the injury, he was in severe pain and sore after playing 36 minutes on Thursday.
When asked if he would play against the Kings, Anunoby replied that he wasn’t considering not playing.
This elbow injury is still very concerning for Anunoby and the Knicks. But head coach Tom Thibodeau said Anunoby was fine and that the doctor looked at him and cleared him.
At this time, it seems likely that Anunoby will play against the Kings. He’s been the X-factor for the Knicks since coming over.
Should Teams Be Afraid of The Kings?
The Kings have 38 wins this year despite many hiccups along the way. Sacramento had blown many leads and has lost games it should’ve won.
However, the Kings are playing really good basketball right now. They’re playing so well that teams probably want to avoid the Kings in the playoffs.
The Kings aren’t the team you want to have to play against in the first or second round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Sacramento Kings are currently in the sixth seed of the Western Conference. They’re also just three and a half games away from the Clippers, who are slotted into the fourth slot of the West.
The Kings have been irrelevant for many years until last season. Now they’re trending up and have a lot of potential on the team.
The NBA stats speak for itself. The Kings are going to be a tough out every game.
New York’s Defense Rocks
The Knicks aren’t providing a high level of offense right now. But the defense has been on another level lately.
Over the last four games, the Knicks have held teams to no more than 97.9 points per 100 possessions.
They held the Orlando Magic to 85.9 points per 100 possessions, kept Philadelphia under 92 points per 100 possessions in back-to-back matchups, and most recently gave up only 97.9 points per 100 possessions to the Portland Trail Blazers.
In those four games, the Knicks won three of them. They lost in one of the Philadelphia games because the offense was as bad as any team had been throughout the season, scoring just 83.9 points per 100 possessions.
The Knicks are never going to shoot a high, effective field goal percentage. However, New York will still dominate the offensive glass, which will help them earn more points from second chances.
On the other hand, the Kings have been super consistent offensively. That’s what makes this matchup a fun clash.
The Kings have scored at least 124.2 points per 100 possessions in four of their last five games. Again, the Knicks haven’t even allowed more than 98 points per 100 possessions in their previous four games.
Sacramento typically gets good looks from the floor, but they don’t earn many offensive rebounds. If the Kings struggle from the field, second chances won’t be there.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Kings have held teams to no more than 16.7% of offensive rebounds in four of their last five games. The Kings will likely limit the Knicks on the glass, ultimately limiting them from scoring many points.
The Kings also foul at a much higher rate than their opponents, and the Knicks could see the foul line more frequently. Ultimately, both teams will not shoot at a high percentage, and neither team will dominate the offensive glass.
After reviewing the Knicks vs Kings odds, the Under 220 (-115) makes the most sense here.
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